1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to devices, systems, and processes useful as breast supports, and more specifically to such devices and processes useful for supporting the breasts of a recumbent female human.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
FIG. 3 illustrates the chest and breasts of a recumbent woman and the deleterious stresses and forces generated on breast tissue and adjacent tissue, when the woman lies on her side, by gravity. The perceived problem is two-fold:
1. When the woman is sleeping on her side, the uppermost breast falls down toward the midline, and often past it. This in turn causes stresses S on the medial and lateral breast skin and the underlying ligaments.
2. When a woman is lying on her back, both breasts fall laterally (to the sides) and often times into the axillae (armpits).
Eventually, these stresses on the breast tissues promote stretching of the skin and resultant breast ptosis (drooping), widening of the breast, and vertically oriented breastbone skin creases C (over the woman's sternum). Additionally, the lower, inferior-most breast sustains laterally compressive and compacting forces F, which can lead to folding of the breast skin upon itself.